Spotlight on superstars at Broadbeach

THE next two days on Australia’s Gold Coast will reverberate to the excited strains of a bowls community poised to experience the best of the best, when the first week of a two-week festival of international competition reaches its climax.

Over the past three, and next two days, the 2019 Asia Pacific Championships – featuring nineteen bowling nations from the Asian and Oceania regions at three host clubs around the Gold Coast – Musgrave Hill, Club Helensvale and Broadbeach – has gone through the qualifying stanza in women’s singles and fours, along with men’s pairs and triples.

In the short term the rewards are medals for excellence at this event, while qualification for next year’s world championships in Australia enjoys equal status.

The next two days will be the stuff of which adventure heroes are made as many of the game’s greatest players strut their stuff – tomorrow’s elimination and semi finals are at Broadbeach, as are the gold medal play-offs on Saturday.

In the morning Kelsey Cottrell from Australia faces Norfolk Island’s Carmen Anderson in the women’s singles eliminations, with the winner to play Siti Zalina Ahmad from Malaysia in an afternoon semi final.

Similarly, Canada’s Kelly McKerihen plays world No.1 Jo Edwards from New Zealand in the corresponding eliminator, with the winner taking on Tania Choudhury from India in the other semi final.

The women’s fours competition sees Malaysia pitted against the Philippines to take on Australia in the afternoon, while Canada and Hong Kong battle for a shot at New Zealand in the corresponding match.

The men’s pairs will feature Malaysia and Philippines in a face-off for a tilt at New Zealand, while Canada and Thailand have Australia in their sights for the other semi final.

Men’s triples action will have Malaysia playing China with the winner up against New Zealand in the afternoon, while the other eliminator has India against Japan for a shot at Australia.

Among the many star-studded competitors in action during the finals, there are few that attract as many plaudits as New Zealand superstars Shannon McIlroy and Gary Lawson, who completed their men’s pairs commitments undefeated.

McIlroy is arguably the hottest singles player on the planet and covets the 2016 world bowls championship title he won on home soil in Christchurch, while late last year he added a second crown to his collection when he powered to the world singles champion of champions title at St Johns Park in Sydney.

His partner in crime this week is the enigmatic Gary Lawson who returns to the Blackjacks flock following a decade away from international duty. The flamboyant Lawson is one of the game’s premier performers, having won the 2008 world pairs and fours in Christchurch.